A Reporter Reflects on His Own Reaction to the Election

Anyone remember Walter Cronkite’s voice cracking on REPORTING the news of JFK’s assassination or when Apollo 11 landed on the moon?
How about Peter Jennings choking up on air on 9/11 when he commented about talking to his children?
Robin Roberts visiting her family who survived the devastating eye of Hurricane Katrina during GMA?
CNN’s Jeannie Moss reflecting on the cries she heard during the night from stranded, desparate, and helpless Katrina victims being flooded out of their homes?
The Hindenburg disaster?
Anyone who thinks reporters can’t express raw emotions while reporting has no heart and worse yet, no soul. It’s these kind of events that show us that reporters, no matter how objective they are (except those on FauxNoise…err…News), they are also only human. Bias has nothing to do with it. Steve O’s tears were mirrored on the faces of 10′s of thousands of people around the US–and the WORLD–who were witnessing and celebrating a unique and grand historic moment for this country.
It was an emotional event that touched me deeply as well, the fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream.

I have listened, since 1991, at the un- relenting so called ‘unbiased, unemotional and objective reporting’ of those at Fox and from the likes Limbaugh and his ilk so, from at least one soul we get to hear honest, human and, yes, humane, reporting for a change. I for one can live (better)with it!

I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the story I saw filed by Steve on the night of the election. I have never seen any better use of air time in the expression of sincere thoughts in my life. Having said that, this had nothing to do with a political story it was a human event that I had once thought that I would never live to see; but thank the Lord above, I did. Further, I would like to express my thoughts on the consistent comment that we have elected an African-American President. I know to a degree this is true but it is not the story. After all, this man is all of the people’s President and the man is half white. Not that either point matters. I would like to see people move away from the racially descriptive phrases and start referring to him as Mr. President-Elect or some other reference that is more telling of what we all expect of this man in the next four years. I am a southern white man and am proud to have been a staunch supporter of Barack Obama. I was elated to have had the distinct pleasure of casting this ballot for more than one reason none more important than the fact that I did not know if I would live long enough to do so or not this time last year. I was diagnosed with Cancer October the 4th of 2007 and prayed all year long that I would live long enough to vote for this man and hopefully see him installed in the Presidency for the sake of my children and grandchildren; so that I would not have to leave this world with the worries that have continued to mount up over the last eight years. Let no one doubt we have set this country and the world in which we live on a different course. I believe it to be the best course in a long time. STEVE, keep up the good work!

Kari: A very good point!

If we want reporters, completely void of emotion, then we should use text to speech computers to provide the best monotone report they can.
Maybe someday I will not have to qualify my testimonial by saying, “I’m a 38yo white man,” but for now I do. I’m a 38yo white man, registered Republican, father of two boys under the age of 10, who grew up in a lily white middle class community, which has since become only slightly more diversified. I have lived the charmed life. Yet, on election night I wept as I watched Mr. Obama walk on to the stage with his wife and two daughters. Tears ebbed and flowed throughout Mr. Obama’s speech, during the celebration after, when Mr. Biden’s mother was brought to the front of the stage and until I shut off the television to finally get some sleep.
I can only speak for myself when I say that as an American who whole heartedly believes in the ideals of our forefathers, that there is a tangible feeling that we are closer today to those ideals than we have ever been. And, it is important to note that Barack Obama, by the very nature of his heritage, is no more a “black” man than he is a “white” man. We can all take pride that he is “our” President.

Disney/ABC = Osunsami would be a nice
male addition to the “VIEW.” He stopped
being a reporter the instant he made the news. Showing emotions while reporting is fine, so long as the reporter doesn’t become part of the story. There must be something in the ABC culture that so many (Gibson, Walters, GS, and now Osunsami)showed biased in their reporting. Save it for Oprah, the View, etc. and not the news.

Steve didn’t do anything more than put into words what many of us were feeling. If that’s being unprofessional, I wish a few more reporters would be unprofessional. For those of us who grew up in lily white parts of America, Steve gave us a hint of what this election meant to millions of people that took it personally when told that this wasn’t possible. Nobody ever told me as a child that I couldn’t be President of the United States.

Why is the Press referring to Obama as “A Black President” instead of “A President”?
This offends me.
It shows how the press is racist.
It reminds me of the police when they describe an Afro-American male. It is always, “A Black Male”. The guy could be a 7 foot tall male or a short 3 foot tall male, but the police would still describe the male as a “Black Male”. The police would always use race as the first and primary adjective to describe Afro-American Males. This has offended me for years.
Now the American Press is doing the same. They are exploiting the fact that Obama skin is dark. Just listen to the news and count how many times the press referrers to Obama as “A Black President”.
Does the American Press think that by exploiting the fact that Obama has dark skin, they can get a larger audience making their ratings go up?
What next? Will white business start selling kids lunch boxes with Obama’s picture on them?
Just how much money is going to be made by exploiting the fact that Obama has dark skin and who is going to be making all that money?
To me, our President should be just that, “Our President” and not be continuously described by his/her gender, race, religion, color of her/his sin or any other descriptive adjective.
This just shows how unprofessional and racist our American Press really is.
Neither Obama nor McCain has mentioned the race issue during this campaign. It has and still is the American Press who has turned this campaign into a racist issue. I’m sure the American Press will still continue to make this campaign and Obama’s Presidency a Race issue because they want news and if their isn’t any news to report, they will make some news so they will have something to report.
The U. S. Constitution grants “Freedom of the Press”, which allows the American Press to criticize our government but does it’s citizens have a right to criticize it’s Press? Apparently ABC doesn’t think we have a right to be able to criticize the American Press.

I was born and raised in San Diego.I went to school at san miguel as a youth and it was a mixed race school.I had many black friends who I still think about till this day.After school I went home to my street which was white and hispanic and my black friends went home to the all black area behind the school.That is just the way it was and it worked both ways. I couldn’t visit my friends in the all black area nor could they visit me.We used to catch up on neutral ground down near college grove or elsewhere and go raise a bit of hell or see a movie.Nothing could stop us from being friends but there were unwritten rules we had to follow to keep our families happy.
I am 49 years old now and at the age of 24 I immigrated to Australia.I left my family and country of birth and started a new life in a foreign land.When I first came to Australia there were very few African people here and the only black people I ever saw and interacted with were Australian Aboriginals.So strange to explain but I really missed walking down the street and seeing people of African decent.I am happy to say in the last 5 years or so very many African blacks have been allowed to immigrate here to escape oppression in their homelands.They come from sUDAN as well as sierra leone and zimbabwe.I have struck up friendship with 2 from zimbabwe and 1 from Sierra leone. They remind me of the American blacks I grew up with as their english is so good it is hard to pick UP the African accent.It is so good to see back in America that times are changing and so many black Americans finally proud to call themselves Americans. This is major history here and the pride it is giving the people and the pulling together of the races is so wonderful to see.Sad but many hate filled troll the blogs but as the election proves they are just a minority so please my black brothers don’t let it bother you as they are a dying breed.

You’re white and you cried huh Charlotte?? Please!! Give it a few years and you’ll really be crying .. and for different reasons!

It is wonderful that a man with a different skin color then us white people. However, why do they keep calling Obama an african- american. His father was black and his mother was white. He is as much an African american as he is white man.

TobyHill: You’re right… You can’t go back to ‘those days’. The election of Obama is the only lift that we needed to make. It took forty years – many doubted it would happen in their life time. But we did it. It didn’t mean that much to you because you never shared the struggle.

I still cant understand why people are crying. We all know why he got elected. Even a host on the View said this is first time she had voted. Hold you tears for now because you will be crying and complaining after 4 years.

Sometimes it is good to read comments that are uplifting to the spirits rather than all megatives. We are in a very dismall situation and then some of us still have the courage to add more insults to our injured situation. Thanks to all that showed their good human natured and helped us put a celebratory emotions.
This will not solve our economic or other problems, but our positive attitudes and an effort to help each other will help us to overcome an additional trouble.
We are a great nation with great people living in it. We have to live the way we want to. Look forward for a bright tomorrow.

Look, I think it was OK for Steve to have that reaction, and while I loved the coverage that ABC provided for the election, it was obvious that Steve was having that reaction before they came to him with the live feed. Ultimately, that was a producers decision to have that on the air, and it seemed a little manipulative. No fault of Steve, because his reaction was natural, but it looked as it producers jumped from reporter to reporter until they got that reaction.
Thats just my opinion, I don’t have a problem with it necessarily.

I saw nothing wrong with the reporter being emotional and sharing a small part of himself with the world. Would it have been considered wrong if Charlie Gibson (who is excellent at his job)had said the same thing? or shown the same emotions? hmmm. Anyway I like reporters who are real and have feelings thats just being a human being. I agree with those that say if we want cold, emotionless news just put on a teleprompter.

I am glad to see emotion from a reporter. I would wonder if he didn’t show any emotion since it’s a victory for his own race. Have we totally lost the show of emotion in this world so bad that ones job is to say a reporter has to be void of his or her humanity too? Well one things true especially if God said it in the Bible; “The love of many have waxed cold”. Please ABC, we are the viewers of your channel and without the viewers there would’nt be an ABC so if we want to see the human side of your reporters then yes you should not complain or repremand the reporter who shows this side.

Steve, I am sorry that you are having to go through so much scrutiny about showing your natural emotions on television! It was very heart warming to see so many Americans of all nationalities celebrating “CHANGE”! Under the leadership of President Obama, I feel that eventually there will be more world peace and everyone (even those who cringe at the thought of having a BLACK MAN as the leader of this Country, which is what he is, because that is what he has to mark on any applciations that ask RACE) is going to prosper from his leadership in the U.S.A! I personally am more excited to see Michelle Obama an INTELLIGENT, STRONG BLACK WOMEN representing this country as our FIRST LADY!!! Something that is rarely displayed amongst the wealthy Black Men in America (because they get caught up)! Congratulations America you stoop up, spoke and was heard loudly! Welcome President Obama and the First Family! My prayers are with you!!

I did not react quite as strongly as most of the posters here because–and this strikes me as very interesting–I never doubted that this country could elect an African American president. It just doesn’t shock me at all or even mildly surprise me. I have always thought that a competent, inclusive African American candidate could be elected. Whether that says that I am naive or what, I don’t know but at this point, I appear to have been proven right!
So while I can understand someone with an upbringing different than mine questioning whether the US could elect an African American president, I think that the greatest thing that will come from his election is that that sort of cynicism has been defeated.

Professional journalists need to keep their personal feeling and emotions under control and report objectively.
If one can’t, get out of the business!

Joiner’s Rule, ‘Steve, I am sorry that you are having to go through so much scrutiny about showing your natural emotions on television!’
If he can’t be professional and unbiased, he needs to take his crying towel and find a new occupation! He is supposed to be a professional reporter presenting information fairly, objectively and unbiased!

I am deeply saddened by Fox News intrepretation of Steve Osunami’s reporting of the election of Barack Obama. I loved seeing his enthusiasm and joy at the moment. He allowed us to share that special moment with him and I feel privileged to have seen that report. I count on ABC for my news and after seeing what FOX has done and said makes me glad I don’t waste my time watching them.

I am not even black…However I also cried…

I am a 56 yo white woman who has seen the worst and the best this country has to offer. I cried when Obama won because he brings hope to this country; hope that our reputation and standing in this world society can be restored; hope that all people in America will be represented fairly; hope that we can be a better people than we’ve been these last eight years. Watching reactions from around the world makes me hopeful that our new President will help heal the world; negotiate peace and recognize that the citizens of the world don’t all have to follow our rules and beliefs to be counted as worthwhile. It’s past time to lay down the prejudices and hatred for those that are different and accept each other as is. That’s what I believe, in my heart of hearts, this man will do for the world.

Geoffrey,
I can tell you why I cried.
Other than believing in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Clause when I was a child I also believed that I too could be the President. When I got older of course, I realized the Tooth Fairy and Santa were make believe — and it was okay that I had been lied to because it was fun and didn’t hurt me.
However, I continued to hold on to the childhood belief that I could be the President. I held on to that idea because if it weren’t true then the whole “story” I bought into as a child and continued to buy into for 62 years about the United States being the beacon of hope, freedom and opportunity for all was nothing but a huge hurtful lie. It was a reality I simply could not accept even though I had no proof that is wasen’t a lie … until Tuesday.
I am a 62 year old woman who cried like a baby.

Didn’t some reporters weep when Kennedy was shot? Was that bias? Was it anti-republican? No. It’s just real.
In the days his dad had that opinion, I would have had the same opinion and I’m a white woman. Obama was just the best candidate. He won fair and square. It’s a great day for the country.

I forgot to add something very important to my comment:
Great job, Steve. That kind of human reporting when faced with such a historic event is understandable and very appropriate. Thank you.

I’m a white american; and I too wept during Obama’s acceptance speech. The tears were tears of hope. Hope that we can “get on with it”. “It” being the dream of Martin Luther King. “It” being the rebuilding of America. “It” being the repair of the rule of the constitution in this nation. I know this isn’t going to be easy. I don’t envy the job Obama has in store for him, but I don’t think he asked for the job blindly. We all need to shoulder our load in the rebuilding.

Let’s be clear, for years and years conservatives decried the liberal bias of the media to which people like Sam Donaldson and Kokie Roberts used say….non-sense! During this election cycle and including this event, it’s been more than apparent to any objective observer that the media was in the bag for Obama all the way. The Pew Center for Media Research released a survey of election coverage by the broadcast networks and cable news channels and found……Fox News was far and away the most unbiased in their reporting. It’s OK for reporters to have a view point, but please don’t insult everyone’s intelligence and claim to be objective!